Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 6, CHI-Crystallization

CHI [ S
China. The minifter, dreading the arrival of this envoy, im-
prifoned him near Nanking ; and took all poflible care
that neither Hnpilay, nor Li-tfong the Chinefe empe¬
ror, fliould ever hear any thing of him.
It was impoffible fuqh unparalleled condufl could
fail to produce a new war. Hupilay’s courtiers in-
ceffantly preffed him to revenge himfelf on the Song
for their treacherous behaviour ; and he foon publilh-
ed a manifefto againft them, which was followed by
a renewal of hostilities in 1268. The Mogul army
amounted to 300,000 men $ but notwithftanding their
numbers, little progrefs was made till the year 1271.
Syan-yang and Fan thing, cities in the province of
Se-chew, had been befieged for a long time ineffec¬
tually 5 but this year an Igur lord adviled Hupilay to
fend for feveral of thofe engineers out of the weft, who
knew how to caft ftones of 150 pounds weight out of
their engines, which made holes of feven or eight feet
wide in the ftrongeft walls. Two of thefe engineers
were accordingly fent for j and after giving a fpeci-
men of their art before Hupilay, were fent to the ar¬
my in 1272. In the beginning of 1273 they planted
their engines againft the city of Fan-ching, and pre-
fently made a breach in the walls. After a bloody
conflift the fuburbs were taken ; and foon after the
40 Moguls made themfelves mafters of the walls and gates
Befperate 0f the city. Neverthelefs, a Chinefe officer, with on-
con x<ft. jy IOO ref0lved to fight from ftreet to ftfeet.
This he did for a long time with the greateft obftina-
cy, killing vaft numbers of the Moguls j and both
parties are faid to have been fo much overcome with
thirft, that they drank human blood to quench it.
The Chinefe fet fire to the houfes, that the great
beams, falling down, might embarrafs the way of their
purfuers j but at laft, being quite w'earied out, and fill¬
ed with defpair, they put an end to their own lives.
After the taking of Fan-ching, all the materials which
had ferved at the fiege were tranfported to Seyen-
yang. The two engineers polled themfelves againft a
wooden retrenchment railed on the ramparts. This
they quickly demoliihed 5 and the befieged were fo in¬
timidated by the noife and havock made by the ftones
caft from thefe terrible engines, that they immediately
furrendered.
In 1274, Pe-yen, an officer of great valour, and en¬
dowed with many other good qualities, was promoted
to the command of the Mogul army. His firft ex¬
ploits were the taking of two ftrong cities $ after
which he paffed the great river Ky-ang, defeated the
Song army, and laid liege to Vu-chang-fu. This city
was foon intimidated into a furrender 5 and Pe-yen,
by reftraining the barbarity of his foldiers, whom he
would not allow to hurt any body, foon gained the
hearts of the Chinefe fo much, that feveral cities fur-
rendered to him on the firft fummons. In the mean
time the treacherous Kya-tfe-tau, who was fent to op-
pofe Pe-yen, was not afhamed to propofe peace on the
terms he had formerly concluded with Hupilay ; but
thefe being rejected, he was obliged at length to come
to an engagement. In this he was defeated, and Pe-
yen continued his conquefts with great rapidity. Ha¬
ving taken the city of Nanking, and fome others, he
marched towards Hang-chew-fu, the capital of the
eiunefe . 1 r j 1 .
eraprefs Song empire. Peace was now again propoled, but
Submits. rejected by the Mogul general j and at laft the em-
] C H I
prefs was conftrained to put herfelf, with her fon, then china,
an infant, into the hands of Pe-yen, who immediately w—y——j
fent them to Hupilay.
The fubmiflion of the emprefs did not yet put an
end to the war. Many of the chief officers fwore to
do their utmoft to refcue her from the hands of her
enemies. In confequence of this refolution they dif-
tributed their money among the foldiers, and foon
got together an army of 40,000 men. This army at¬
tacked the city rvhere the young emperor Kong-
tfong was lodged, but without fuccefs $ after which,
and feveral other vain attempts, they raifed one of
his brothers to the throne, who then took upon him
the name of Twon-tfong. He was but nine years of
age when he was raifed to the imperial dignity, and
enjoyed it but a very fhort time. In 1277 he was in
great danger of perifhing, by reafon of the fhip on
board which he then was being caft away. The poor
prince fell into the water, and was taken up half dead
with the fright. A great part of his troops perifhed
at that time, and he foon after made offers of fubmif-
fion to Hupilay. Thefe, however, were not accept¬
ed j for, in 1278, the unhappy Twon-tfong was obli¬
ged to retire into a little defert ifland on the coaft of
Quang-tong, where he died in the nth year of his
age.
Notwithftanding the progrefs of the Moguls, vaft
territories ftill remained to be fubdued before they 0f the Song
could become mafters of all the Chinefe empire. On empire,
the death of Twon-tfong, therefore, the mandarins
raifed to the throne his brother, named Te-ping, at
that time but eight years of age. His army confifted
of no fewer than 200,000 men *, but being utterly void
of difcipline, and entirely ignorant of the art of war,
they were defeated by 20,00c Mogul troops. Nor
was the fleet more fuceefsful j for being put in confu-
fion by that of the Moguls, and the emperor in dan¬
ger of falling into their hands, one of the officers ta¬
king him on his (boulders, jumped with him into the
fea, where they were both drowned. Mod of the
mandarins followed this example, as did alfo the em¬
prefs and minifter, all the ladies and maids of honour,
and multitudes of others, infomuch that 100,000 peo¬
ple are thought to have periftied on that day, Thus
ended the Chinefe race of emperors j and the Mogul
dynafty, known by the name of Ywen, commenced.
Though no race of men that ever exifted were Re)-^n30f
more remarkable for cruelty and barbarity than the Hupilay.
Moguls $ yet it doth not appear that the emperors of
the Ywen dynafty were in any refpedl worfe than
their predeceflbrs. On the contrary, Hupilay, by the
Chinefe called Shi-tfu, found the way of reconciling
the people to his government, and even of endearing
himfelf to them fo much, that the reign of his family
is to this day ftyled by the Chinefe the wife govern¬
ment. This he aceompliftied by keeping as clofe as
poffible to their ancient laws and cuftoms, by his mild
and juft government, and by his regard for their
learned men. He was indeed aftiamed of the igno¬
rance and barbarity of his Mogul fubje&s, when com¬
pared with the Chinefe. The whole knowledge of the
former was fummed up in their (kill in managing their
arms and horfes, being perfedly deftitute of every art
or fcience, or even of the knowledge of letters. In
1269, he had caufed the Mogul charafters to be con¬
trived